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Introducing Fjord1 (OB:FJORD), The Stock That Dropped 21% In The Last Year

It's understandable if you feel frustrated when a stock you own sees a lower share price. But sometimes a share price fall can have more to do with market conditions than the performance of the specific business. So while the Fjord1 ASA (OB:FJORD) share price is down 21% in the last year, the total return to shareholders (which includes dividends) was -15%. And that total return actually beats the market return of -25%. Fjord1 may have better days ahead, of course; we've only looked at a one year period. Even worse, it's down 17% in about a month, which isn't fun at all. We do note, however, that the broader market is down 20% in that period, and this may have weighed on the share price.

View our latest analysis for Fjord1

There is no denying that markets are sometimes efficient, but prices do not always reflect underlying business performance. One way to examine how market sentiment has changed over time is to look at the interaction between a company's share price and its earnings per share (EPS).

Unfortunately Fjord1 reported an EPS drop of 60% for the last year. The share price fall of 21% isn't as bad as the reduction in earnings per share. So despite the weak per-share profits, some investors are probably relieved the situation wasn't more difficult.

You can see how EPS has changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values).

OB:FJORD Past and Future Earnings March 30th 2020
OB:FJORD Past and Future Earnings March 30th 2020

Before buying or selling a stock, we always recommend a close examination of historic growth trends, available here.

What About Dividends?

As well as measuring the share price return, investors should also consider the total shareholder return (TSR). The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. We note that for Fjord1 the TSR over the last year was -15%, which is better than the share price return mentioned above. This is largely a result of its dividend payments!

A Different Perspective

Given that the broader market dropped 25% over the year, the fact that Fjord1 shareholders were down 15% isn't so bad. Unfortunately for shareholders, the share price momentum hasn't improved much with the stock down 8.2% in around 90 days. This doesn't look great to us, but it is possible that the market is over-reacting to prior disappointment. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Fjord1 better, we need to consider many other factors. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 5 warning signs with Fjord1 (at least 2 which are a bit unpleasant) , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies we expect will grow earnings.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on NO exchanges.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.